IRCC issued 576 ITAs on September 14, 2026 in a Provincial Nominee Program draw at a CRS cutoff of 734 — up 37 points from August 31's 2026 low of 697.
On September 14, 2026, IRCC issued 576 ITAs in a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw at a CRS cutoff of 734 — a 37-point jump from the 2026-low cutoff of 697 set just two weeks earlier. If you were hoping the sub-700 PNP round on August 31 marked a lasting shift, this draw is the answer: it didn't.
IRCC issued 576 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates holding a provincial nomination, requiring a minimum CRS score of 734. Candidates needed an Express Entry profile created before 9:39 p.m. UTC on August 29, 2026 to be included. This was Express Entry round #442 — the 54th of 2026 — and the 18th draw of the year targeting the Provincial Nominee Program category.
Two weeks ago, on August 31, IRCC ran a PNP round at CRS 697 — the first and only PNP cutoff of 2026 to drop below 700. We noted at the time that a drop that sharp was worth watching, not assuming as a new normal. This draw confirms that call: the cutoff didn't just recover, it jumped 37 points past where PNP rounds were sitting in early August.
A provincial nomination adds a flat 600 CRS points, so PNP cutoffs move mostly on the human-capital score — age, education, language, work experience — that nominees bring on top of that boost. The August 31 dip likely reflected a temporary backlog of lower-scoring nominees stacking up in the pool faster than IRCC was clearing them. Once that backlog cleared, the cutoff returned to the 730s–760s range that's defined every other PNP round this year.
If you hold a provincial nomination with a CRS score of 734 or higher: you should have received an ITA in this round, provided your profile was in the pool before the August 29 cutoff time. If you qualified and weren't invited, verify that your nomination is correctly reflected in your Express Entry profile.
If your nomination is pending and your human-capital score sits below 734: don't plan around a repeat of the August 31 low. Every PNP round in 2026 except that one has cleared above 730, and this draw shows the program snapping back to that level within two weeks. See our guide to how a provincial nomination affects your CRS score for what it takes to close a gap this size without the nomination boost.
If you're not pursuing a provincial nomination: category-based draws for French-language, healthcare, and trades continue to clear at far lower cutoffs — some in the 380s–480s range. Check whether your profile fits an active stream in Alberta, BC, Manitoba, or Ontario before assuming PNP is your only route in.
Tip
The August 31 low of 697 was an outlier, not a trend — this draw erased the entire drop in a single round. If you're counting on a repeat of that dip to get your nomination through Express Entry, plan around 730+ instead. Provinces have been nominating candidates at a steady clip all year, and IRCC's PNP cutoffs have reflected that in 17 of the last 18 rounds.
You have 60 days from September 14 — until around November 13, 2026 — to submit a complete permanent residence application. You'll need your language test results, an ECA if any of your education is foreign, police certificates from every country you've lived in for 6+ months since age 18, an immigration medical exam, and proof of funds if you're not applying under CEC.
This was the 18th PNP-targeted round of 2026, bringing total invitations issued to provincial nominees this year to roughly 8,537. IRCC doesn't publish a draw calendar, but PNP rounds have run every one to three weeks all year — expect another before the end of the month, most likely back in the 700s–760s range rather than repeating August 31's dip.
Where do you stand? CRS Calculator | All Express Entry Draws | How a Provincial Nomination Affects Your CRS Score | PNP Guide
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration advice. Always verify information with official IRCC sources and consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or licensed immigration lawyer for advice specific to your situation.